Whether enforceable or not, Carr’s plan to prioritize the equal-time rule is creating significant political noise, and that may well be the point. Applying 1927 to 2026The equal-time rule was conceived at the dawn of the broadcast age. The FCC rule specifically covers political candidates and election cycles, so there are many times when it doesn’t apply. But the “equal-time rule” is sometimes conflated with broader “equal time” arguments in the never-ending attention war that is American politics. Joe Lamberti/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesLast month, the Los Angeles Times asked Hannity about Carr’s equal-time talk, and he said: “We need less government regulation and more freedom.

Source: CNN February 19, 2026 02:13 UTC